Differential gearing



March l, 1949.

DIFFERENTIAL GEARING Filed May 23, 1947 2. sheets-sheet i INvEnToR ISAooge K. Dom-omw/f/M K. Dol-TORT` 2,463,091

March l, 1949.

l?. K. DORTQRT 2,463,091

DIFFERENTIAL GEARING Filed May 23, 1947 ESheetS-Sheet 2 y' N s" Ilnve- HTOR IsAooRs K. Daarom' Patented Mar. l, 1949- UNITED srArEs PATENT OFFICE f DIFFERENTIAL GEARING Isadore K. Dortort, Milwaukee, Wil.` Application May 28, 1947, Serial No.-750,103

' (ci. 'r4-111) 7 Claims.

type, motion of one driven gear or axle relative to another driven gear or axle, or to the planetary or coupling gears, such as occurs when one of the driven gears rotates freely, is utilized to provide a pumping action creating and applying torque to the non-rotating or more slowly rotating gear. However, the known mechanisms for accomplishing the above result have been im-` practical because of diillculty in manufacture, un-

due increase in weight of and number of parts used in the diil'erential gearing. the need for large space in the complete machine, and too great an increase in cost overv the standard dii.- ferential. Y

One of the objects of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a diiierential gearing of the type indicated, which is easily manufactured with the same tools and gear cutting machinery as standard beveled gear differentials, does not Vweigh substantially space, or cost-much more than ordinary differential gearing of substantially the same powerk transmission capacity.

Another vobject of the invention is to apply relatively constant tractive forces to the driven wheels of a. vehicle traveling on non-uniformly slippery surfaces, so as to avoid the sudden removal and application of tractive power which is a frequent cause ,of skidding accidents.

The stated objects are attained primarily by using the side-gears and planetary gears of a beveled gear differential, as oil pumps as well as for the mechanical transmission of power. The

gears are carried in a shell which performs the same functions as in the conventional diiferential, and also serves as the pump casing which is divided into suction and pressure areas or chambers.I In the present invention, the dliferential gears are used for the oil pumps, which more, take up more is made practicable by placing those gears whose inner web surfaces are spherical, around a central sphere of corresponding diameter. The

spaces dened or formed between the lands of the gears. the shell and the central sphere or filler block are substantially filled by outer filler blocks to separate the low and high pressure areas or chambers adjacent the arcs of interaction of the gears. The central illler block in one `embodiment of the invention, has communicating passages or ports umich interconnect that,when. relative gear motion exceeds that rej quired for the normal turning action of the velucle, the pressure developed produces countertorques which limit the relative motion of the driven wheels, and make it possible for the engine to deliver tractive `power even when one wheel is spinning freely and cannot exert any tractive eifort.

, Combining the properties of shell and pump casing in one element and utilizing the power transmission gears as pump impellers, saves in weight and number of working parts. The present invention replaces the usual spider by inner and outer filler blocks and a shaft or shafts on which planetary gears are mounted, and such structure is herein collectively called the spider. However, such spider adds but little weight to that of a similar standard diierential gearing.

The finished surfaces of most of the spider are cylindrical, spherical or conical, and may. be

however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be un-` derstood from the following description ofspeciflc embodiments which illustrate a differential having two planetary gears, equal in sizeto the driven gears, such embodiment being chosen for ease of illustrationl and explanation. Generally, the preferred embodiment will use two, three or four planetary gears having diameters smaller than the diameter of the driven gears. `Referring now to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in plan with parts being broken away for partly in horizontal section and the salseof clarity in'illustrating `a diiferential ygearing embodyingthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is a. sectionalview taken on the line 2-2 `of Fis. 1:

\ j F1833 isa sectional view taken on the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of a filler block f comprising one of the elements of the differential gearing embodying the invention;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-5 yof Fig. 4 to illustrate' thatnthe siclesofl the-,block Vshaft comprising an element ofthe differential are concave and -convex conical surfaces and not flat;

' embodying the invention:

Fig. 7 is aview in vertical section'vat right angles to the driven shafts illustratingga portion of .f-

Aa modification ofv a differential gearing embody--` ing the'invention in which there are incorporated f Referring to vthe drawings by reference numerals, the differential gearing is mounted in a i four planetary gears;

Fig. 6 is'a view in side elevation of a removable I4, as indicated at 23, Fig. 2. It will be apparent vthat the driven or. side gears 23 and 21 may be provided with extended hubs journaied into the shell bearings so as to provide greater strengthv fox` thesplined joint. [The differential action accomplished by this arrangement is identical with that of any standard differential gearing.

However, since the gears in the above embodi- `ment are also designed to function as pumps, the

outerfaces of their bodies are convexspherical surfaces and are finished toiit snugly in'tlleinner spherical `'surface of the shell. The inner faces of the gear webs are finished as concave spheri- "cal 'surfaces to fit snugly on va sphere or filler block 29..'Thu`s the gears andvller block 29 nes.

v -,within the shell with such close tolerances of fit 1 Fig-.,81'is a sectional fragment ofithe shell with.' an' -outer filler block and means for 'adjustably' riorly Y of the shell,` and I Fig.-9fis a sectional viewrsixnilar to Fig. 2 of only'the innervilller block andis shown as having controllingl flow through such block from'exteplaced therein a fluted shaft in place'vof-the shaft shown in Fig. 6.

'soi

housing I0 .which'provides a reservoir and sump E for theoil vwhich in the present embodiment of theinventiom is` used not only to lubricate the movingparts lout also as the nula' in the pumping jsystem. A power supplying drive shaft II ex- 'shownin rudimentaryform only.. f

vtends into thehousing I0 and rotatesl a driving pinion I2. A pair of coaxial driven axlesk I3 and I4 also extend into the housing I0. These axles are all mounted in suitable bearings'which are As '1s customary lwith 'standard diner-snaai gearing, a shelll is vrotatably. mounted on the as to permit the gears to act properly as gea.' pumps. The spaces between the shell, the block 23 and the top lands of the gears aresubstantially lled by two identically shaped filler blockl 3i!` and 3I having their outer faces finished at convex" spherical surfaces and the innerv facel 'thereof are finished as concave spherical surface:

to't snugly respectively with the inner spherical. surfaces ofthe shell IS-IB and the outer spherical surface of the fillerblock'29. Four opposite sidesv of the outer Afiller-blocks are-finished as concave conical surfaces, as indicated at 32 in Figsjliand, to have surfacejsliding contact withthe top lands of the gears. Toformhigh and low pressure areas or` chambers within' the shell, theopposite corners of the blocks are finished as 'convex' conical surfaces, as indicated at 33. The

surfaces 33 may ofcourse be fiat orlof any other suitabieconiiguration, but convex conical surfaces will lend themselves more readily to massf productionltechniques. lThe surfaces33 define,

with the inner surface of the shell, the outer surfaces i the filler block 29 and the teeth of the gears, at least substantially to the beginning of "the rarc of approach, eight symmetrically ardriveny axles. Infthe illustratedembodiment of the present invention, the shell also provides a l casing for the pumping means. To perform both the indicated functions. the shell is made in the shape of a hollow-sphere by joining. togetherv two identically shaped halves It and I6.v Each half has similar flanges I1y and I8 fastened together by a plurality of machine screws I3, or the like. The'inner surfaces ofthe'shell halves I5. I6 are spherical and finished to predetermined-size and sage for regulating or throttlingthe flow of fluidv surface smoothness.` Each of the lflanges I1, i3

' have bearing half portionsfindicated generally at 20 and'2l. diametrically positioned andrespectively coacting when the halves are united, to provide bearings for the planetary gear-holding shaft 22. Each half of the-shell also has suitable bearings by which the shell halves are rotatably. ,mounted on the axles I3 and I4. The

ends ofthe bearings inthe shell halves abut the 'inside of the housing Il to position the shell', or. various forms of thrust bearings may be used for this purpose.- ,A .ring .gear 23 is bolted to the anges I1 and I3 and meshes with pinion I2 s o appliedv to the shell.

v that rotative power supplied by the shaft I Imis f `'ro transmitan` remove mononlorms sneu' to the axles I3 and 'I4."there is provided a pair of kplanetary gears 24 and 25 which move with the shell in an'orbit about theaxes of the shafts I3 and I4, and a vpair of driven gears26` and 21 which mesh withl the planetary gears 24 and 23 and are'splined respectively to the shafts `I3 and` ranged chambers three of which are designated 6U, BI and62 in Fig. l. Four of these chambers Y will be low pressure and four will be high pressure vareas* or "chambers, functioning rinterchangeably, however',v depending upon the relative direction'Y of rotation ofthe .planetary and It is essential for the operation of the pumping system to interconnect the various chambers. The innery ller block 29 is provided with a central opening 34 which provides a common pasbetween high and low pressure areas or chambers. Eight `other passages, only thefour designated 35, 36, 31, and' 38 being shown, are symmetrically and radially positioned in'V block 29 and extend from'. the openingy 34 to the outer surface of the block at points substantially in alinement with'the center of each of the afore- Vmentioned chambers to connect each chamber with thecommon passage 34. The shaft 22, upon which the planetary gears 24 and 2 3 are rotatably' mounted, vpasses through the central passage Y 34 land nts snugly therein except at the recessed `rotation of `block 29 in the plane normal to `outer iller blocks 30- 3|,

Such replacement can be made, without dismantling or disturbing the structural relations of the differential gearing, merely by removing snap-rings extracting shaft 22 and inserting a new one and replacing the rings.

It is obvious that other throttling and regulating means can be used. For instance, two or more passages may be formed by uting shaft 22, and clamping the shaft in such position that the lands between the flutes will cover a certain portion of the inner ends of the radial passages 35-38. It will also be obvious that when the grade of lubricant is changed with changes of ambient temperature, or when a lubricant of relatively constant viscosity such as the known silicones is used,

no passageways and no regulating means are required, because the clearance between the outer ller blocks 30 and 3| and the gear faces can be made sufcient to provide the flow required between high and low pressure chambers to control the pressure.

To permit oil in the reservoir or housing be drawn into such chambers as may at the time be lowerpressure chambers, the shell half I5 is provided with four oil inlets, only those designated 42 and 43 being shown in the drawing. These oil inlets communicate with each of the four areas or chambers located under the shell half i5 and are provided with check valves which permit flow of oil only into the shell. A shroud 44 extends about the shell half |5.and projects over the oil inlets. As the shell rotates, some of the oil in the reservoir, is caused to lll up the space between the shroud 44 and the shell by the action of centrifugal force and `is constantly supplied under slight pressure to the oil inlets. Thus such of those chambers under the shell half I5 as are then lower pressure chambers will be supplied with oil. In the embodiment here vdisclosed the shroud 44 is formed integrally with the ring gear 23. However, such integral construction is not necessary as the shroud may be spun or stamped out of sheet metal, with a `flange for bolting between the ring-gear and shell flanges and two shrouds may be used, one over each half of the shell. Unless check valves are provided on both sides of the shell, it is however necessary to provide passages 40 and 4| in filler blocks 30 and 3| to equalize the pressure in the various `high and low pressure chambers of the several pumps so as to obtain maximum pumping eirectiveness and balanced torque.` It will be understood that slots in the filler block surfaces may be used instead of passages therethrough.

To prevent rotation of inner i-lller block 29 and misalinement of the various passageways 35-39 therethrough with their respective chambers, a pin 45 is inserted in the end of the shaft" i4 and projects into the surface of the block 29 to key it againstrotation about shaft 22. The that of Fig. 2 is prevented, of course, by shaft 22.

Outer filler blocks 30 and 3| may be permitted to float freely in their alotted space, but less wear will result if they are secured to either the shell or the inner ller block, the latter beingl preferred for ease in assembly. It should be noted that the the inner filler block 29 and shaft 22 can beproduced as one integral part to form the spider, but machining thereof will be more difiicult. It should also be noted that neither the shell nor the inner iiller block which is shown as sphere `29, need be spherical as long as the adjoining surfaces of such parts and the webs of the gears are surfaces of revolution. For

instance. such surfaces may be flat but deviation from the spherical will generally increase the cost of manufacture and decrease the eiciencyof the unit.

Hemi-spherical liners of spun or stamped sheet metal of suitable composition may be placed between the shell and gears, as indicated at 52 and between the inner ller block and gears, as indicated at 53, to reduce the wear on these parts. If it is desired to use fixed throttiing, individual liners may be used over and under each gear, the liner diameters being somewhat smaller than the pitch diameter of the gears, so as to provide a iiow 0r leakage path of fixed dimensions between the high and low pressure sides of the gears.

The modication shown in Fig; 7` is identical to that shown in the other views and heretofore described, except for the use of four planetary gears, designated 46,`instead of two, asheretofore described. When four planetary gears are used, two of the planetary gears must be supported on separate or stub shafts, designated generally 41 and are mounted in the shell and in recesses in the inner ller block 48. The through shaft 49 for one pair of planetary gears, however, is substan-r tially identical with the shaft 22 of the rst embodiment. In addition, there mustalsobe four outer filler blocks, indicated at 50, in place of the two of the iirst embodiment. The planetary gears and the ller blocks are constructed substantially identically with those in the rst embodiment except that the planetary gears will of necessity have smaller diameters than the driven or side gears and the outer ller blocks will have rectanguiar axes of different lengths. Inner iillerblock 48, in place of eight radial passageways extending from the central passage to the surface at the base of the various` areas or chambers, will have sixteen such passageways, only eight of which are shown in the drawing. These passageways, like those of the iirst embodiment, extend to the base of the chambers dened by the various parts.

As assembled, the shaft 22 of the first embodiment, or the shaft 49 of the second modification, may be removed without disassembly or disturbance of structural relations of any of the other parts. Such shafts are merely slid longitudinally from the bearings and any suitable devices,`such as snap rings 5|, are utilized to hold themin place as described above. As the shafts are an essential element, it may be necessary to empirically revise' the amount of restriction to the iiow of oil from the high pressure chambers to the low pressure chambers. Such restriction maybe easily modified by varying the diameter ofthe recessed portion 39 of the shafts and either reinserting the shaft as so altered or by inserting other shafts with recesses of diierent diameters. Thus, it is easy to make a proper adjustment of the restriction of ilow. However, as` previously stated, other means may be utilized or no provisions at al1 made for varying the degree of throttling provided in the original factory assembly, except by vchanging the viscosity of the oil.

mechanical force is well known and will the operation of the hydraulic system will now be set forth. In normaloperation the variouspassages and chambers (lowL and high pressure) are charged with oil and the 4whole operates in abath of oil received from the reservoir. Oil will be continually furnished to the various inlet openings through the action of centrifugal force urging it into theslopingspace dened between the shroud M and the shell i5-l6. So .long as there is no rotationof the shaft n there will be no relative movement of the planetary or driven gears. If one shaft rotates with respect to the other, as rwhen a vehicle turns a vcorner in normal operation, lthere will be a relativefrotation of the planetary gears and the driven gears. Such rotation of the gears acts in the same manner as a gear pump, and'adjacent each side of the arc of action between respective gears there will be respectively a high pressure chamber .and a low pressure chamber. The high pressure causes oil flow fromA the high pressure chamber to the `low pressure chamber by way of the common v'passage denedbetween the restrictedshaft portion 39 and the passage 34 of the illlerblock` 29.

At the low differential speeds occurring in normal operation, the pressure developed and therefore lthe eq'ualizing,r torque, is'very low. However las the differential speed and therefore the displacement of the pumps increases, the pressure increases exponentially as the speed with an exponent value of approximately two. Such increase occursfor instance.

the surface and the other is spinning freely in4 .mud or on ice. The.dlfferential speed is then greatly increased'and the pressure is increased approximately as the ysquare of the speed. Torque proportional to the higher pressure is therefore applied to the stationary wheel, both mechanically and hydraulically, causing it to rotate and transmit tractive power from the engine to the tractive "wheel. 'Without the creation of the fabove torque, the :coupling between ther en- "gine and the tractive wheel is effectively broken at the diierential'and no power vcan be transmitted to such wheel.

By way of practical example of the present in- Y vention under both normal and abnormal operatingfconditions. assume a differential Vhaving four planetary gears and anv inside diameter for the shell of 5 inches and forthe inner filler block of 2l/2` inches. Thetooth ratio of the driven and planetary gears is assumed to be 16/A10. The f root to tip distance of the teeth is 17 giving a `projected tooth area of approximately .7 sq. in. with a torque-arm of approximately 1.65 inches for the torque produced hydraulically.- n Assuming further a vvehicle of 3600 pounds gross weight and'using 16 x 6.00 tires, traveling at 60 M. P. H. around a curve of 600V footy radius. The differential actually contains eight fluid a pumps with a combined displacement of 213 cubic inches per minute under this condition. If the vreduced-cross-sectlon 39 of shaft 22 is such that the pressure under the above `conditions is 3.5

p. s. i., the difference of thetractive effort of the y'two driven wheels will then be about 1.5 lbs. at the road surface, and the power dissipated as .heat in the oil will be approximately .002y H. P.

' Now assuming the vehicle to lbe statipnary with l'relative to the shaft i4. l

when one driven wheel n of a vehicle has adequate frictional contact with s one wheel resting on smooth ice and the other wheel blocked by a 6inch rail. If the propeller shaft is rotating at4 a speed equivalent to 4 M P. H., the free wheel-will be spinning at R. P. M..and the combined displacement .of the eight pumps will be 3890 `cubic inches per minute. The hydraulic pressurey will be increased to approximately 1100 p. s. i., and will result in atorque sufficient to cause the blocked wheel to climb over therail. The power dissipated-in the oil in this extreme case would amount to 11 H. P. momentarily, and will drop immediately the blocked wheel starts to rotate, or upon temperature rise of the oil sumcient to lower its viscosity and reduce the torque created.

. It will thus be seen that the present invention provides differential gearing in which enclosure of the driven and planetary gears within a close ttingshell and substitution of a 1111er block or blocks for the usual spider, produces a structure in which counter-'turquesare hydraulically producedexponential1y proportional to differential movement of the driven gears. The filler blocks substantially divide the spacewithin the shell into a plurality of areas at different pressures, dependent on the direction of .rotation of the driven gears. A simple shroud and ordinary check` valves are the only elements required to secure inflow of oil into the low pressure areas defined by the parts within the shell. The throttling of the passages between different pressure areas in the shell may be xed or adjustable to suit particular operating conditions. Special passages may be provided between different pressure areas, or displacement of the pumped fluid may be by way of clearance between the intrashell parts. If special passages are provided, the throttling may be adjusted by simple exchange'of one element or by'adjustabiy positioning such element. f y' The present structure provides means by which the-power may be transmitted to the one of the drive wheels driven through the differential, which has adequate friction with the road surface even though the other drive wheel has substantially no friction on such surface, The structure is easily manufactured, has only a'small number of parts not found in4 the usual differential and there need be no material increase in size or weight of the present structure as compared to the usual differential.

Although but a few embodiments of the present inventionhave been illustrated and described, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from lthe scope of the appended v claims.

I claim; l. In a nuidpressure device for creating counter-torques in differential gearing, driven gears, planetary gears cooperating with the driven gears.

, a spider substantially filling the space between the inner web surfaces of the gears and the spaces between the lands of the gears and the shelll a uid reservoir, liners between the outer web surfaces of the gears and the shell and between the inner web surfaces of the gears and the spider, the gears, the shell, the spider andthe liners coacting .to provide passages forthe flow of fluid betweenareasat diiferentpressuresdue to rotation of the gears relative'to each other.

2v. In a fluid pressure device'for creating counter-'torques in differential gearing,l driven gears,

76 planetary gears cooperating with the driven gears,

9 a spider substantially filling the space between the inner web surfaces of the gears and the spaces between the lands of the gears and the shell,` a fluid reservoir, the spider having passages therethrough for flow of iiuid from high to low pressure areas within the shell upon relative rotation of the gears, and adjustable throttling means in the spider passages for controlling pressures developed upon relative rotation of the driven means.

3. In a fluid pressure device for creating counter-torques in differential gearing, driven gears, a planetary gear interposed between the driven gears, a shell enclosing the gears, a spider comprising an inner filler block substantially filling the space between the inner web surfaces of the gears and an outer filler block substantially filling the space between the lands of the gears, the shell, and the inner ller block, the inner filler block having a plurality of passages therethrough and the outer filler blocks having passages therethrough for equalization of pressure between areas of like pressure, throttling means controlling flow through all of the passages of the inner filler block, and a uvid reservoir retaining fluid for supply to the gearing.

4. In a fluid pressure device for creating counter-torques in differential gearing, driven gears, planetary gears cooperating with the driven gears, a spider substantially filling the space between the inner web surfaces of the gears and the spaces between the landsof the gears and the shell, a fluid reservoir, the spider having passages therethrough terminating in a central passage and providing for the flow of fluid between high and low pressure areas formed in the shell upon relative rotation of the gears, and a single regulating means in the central passage for controlling the flow of fluid through the spider passages.

5. In a uid pressure device for creating counter-torques in differential gearing, driven gears, planetary gears cooperating with the driven gears. a spider substantially lling the space between the inner web surfaces of the gears and the spaces between the lands of the gears and the shell, the spider having passages therethrough terminating in a central passage, a, shaft for mounting the planetary gears in the shell, the shaft extending through the central spider passage and having a portion thereof shaped to cooperate with the first mentioned passages through the spider to form an adjustable regulating means common to all of such passages.

6. In a fluid pressure device for creating counter-torques in differential gearing, driven gears, planetary gears cooperating with the driven gears, a spider substantially filling the space between the inner web surfaces of the gears and the spaces between the lands of the gears and the shell, the spider having passages therethrough terminating in a central passage, a shaft for mounting the planetary gears in the shell, the shaft having a reduced section in the central spider passage for regulating the flow of uid therethrough, the shaft being mounted in the shell for removal and replacement without disturbance of the relations of the gearing.

7. A uid pressure device for creating countertorques in differential gearing comprising a housing forming a uid reservoir, driven gears, planetary gears associated with the driven gears, a shell enclosing the gears, the shell having openings communicating with a plurality of areas therein, check valves in the openings to permit now of fluid from the housing into the shell only, a shroud over the openings to trap fluid and hold the uid over the openings, and a spider comprising inner and outer ller blocks substantially filling respectively the spaces between the inner web surfaces of the'gears, the lands of the gears and the shell, the gears, the shell and the spider coacting to define high and low pressure chambers when the gears rotate relative to each other, the outer filler blocks having passages therethrough from chambers with to like pressure chambers without openings.

ISADORE K. DORTORT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS openings thereinto 

